The present invention relates to vehicle bodies and in particular although not exclusively to the bodies of convertible vehicles.
The stability and refinement of a vehicle is very much dependent upon the rigidity of the vehicle body which serves to locate the suspension and wheels of the vehicle. The torsional and bending stiffness of the vehicle body are adversely affected by the door openings necessary to permit access to the vehicle. In vehicles with saloon bodies, the roof of the vehicle contributes greatly to the torsional and bending stiffness of the vehicle. However, with convertible vehicles, the torsional and bending stiffness is provided mainly by the sill section. As the sill sections are located very close to the neutral axis of the vehicle, they must be of substantial nature to provide adequate stiffening of the body. Hitherto, it has been found necessary to reinforce the sill sections by adding substantial subframes beneath the floor of the passenger compartment of the vehicle.